


the planet drowns in a hundred days

by silpium



Series: inktober 2017 [4]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-06
Updated: 2017-10-06
Packaged: 2019-01-09 18:19:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 652
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12281922
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/silpium/pseuds/silpium
Summary: There are stories of a great kingdom sprawling across the depths of the ocean like a tree’s roots. It’s said to be painstakingly beautiful in its elegance, almost gaudy, with shimmering reds and golds.Hinata’s dream to see it is equally as great.





	the planet drowns in a hundred days

**Author's Note:**

> for inktober day #4, "underwater."

There are stories of a great kingdom sprawling across the depths of the ocean like a tree’s roots. It’s said to be painstakingly beautiful in its elegance, almost gaudy, with shimmering reds and golds.

Hinata’s dream to see it is equally as great.

His entire body tingled with pure excitement, with pure _need_ , when he first heard of it. He can’t quite place why he wants to find it so badly, but the mystery of it, how it came to be, its people—it fascinates him. Whether or not it’s real, in the end, is almost irrelevant.

This fascination envelopes his life. It pays off: developments are made in the field, and it turns out the legend has probable basis in fact. Hinata is chosen to scout the site; and all the excitement that had welled up in him since he was a kid bubble up to the forefront of his mind. Finally, finally, _finally_.

Hinata loves the ocean. As he dives, the sea life that flee from him form an array of colors and shapes that had probably never been made before and never will be made again. The shimmer of light from the surface only makes the colors gleam brighter, more intense, the world their canvas.

As he dives deeper, it becomes darker and darker, until the only light is from his equipment. The wildlife becomes scarce, and it’s just him and the water; this is when the ocean is at its most beautiful, when the water is still and peaceful around him and the only movement is the tiny flutter of the bubbles when he breathes.

He shines his flashlight around him, and his heart stops. The kingdom is—that has to be it, and yet...

The kingdom is in ruins.

Not a single structure is left standing; the marble has collapsed on itself, and the destruction sprawls on farther than Hinata can see. Everything is perfectly still, as though captured in its own bubble of time. Hinata feels achingly out-of-place, an intruder on sacred grounds.

The decimation tugs at his heart: how magnificent must this have been before? How many people must have lost their homes, their lives? What could have even caused such an empire to—

Just as he wonders that, Hinata notices a frail, undecorated coffin resting precariously on a lone pillar above the ruin. It’s glass, and blends with the water just so he hasn't even seen it despite looking in that direction countless times before. The water refuses to settle and still around it. It almost seems to be trembling, just as Hinata’s hands are.

Before he even thinks to do it, he’s swimming over to the coffin and floating before it. Hinata hesitates a moment or two before looking inside. In it rests a boy who has to be his age, maybe even younger. Hinata would think he was dead if not for the ever so slight rise and fall of his chest.

His hair is a deep, deep black, darker than the depths of the ocean Hinata dares not venture into, and pale to contrast. He’s beautiful, pristinely dressed, despite how long he must have been trapped in here. Royalty, maybe, with the prestige his presence wields and the luxury of his dress. 

Hinata’s chest aches. It must be lonely, to be enveloped in darkness in such a tiny little bubble, nobody else around for miles upon miles. To be trapped here with nothing but his own thoughts and dreams, not even able to move. It’s the worst fate Hinata can imagine.

The coldness of the lock’s latch seeps through his gloves and chilling him to the bone. 

The prince opens his eyes. They’re a frigid, navy blue, the same hue as the ocean’s waves during evening, and they freeze Hinata’s hand just as he was releasing the latch.

They watch one another, Hinata hesitant, the prince condescendingly dutiful. 

The coffin opens.

**Author's Note:**

> credit to my love [clem](https://archiveofourown.org/users/luciferTM/pseuds/luciferTM) for betaing! 
> 
> thank you very much for reading, as always! please feel free to comment with concrit or otherwise—it's very appreciated ;v;
> 
> i'm on twitter [@hhatsunetsu](https://twitter.com/hhatsunetsu) if you'd like to hmu!


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